Leopoldi



March 31, 1964 N. LEOPOLDI KEY HOLDER Filed April 4, 19.6

@2 5 LcgoaZdb United States Patent Ofifice 3,126,729 KEY HOLDER Norbert Leopoldi, 4180 Marine Drive, Chicago, Ill. Filed Apr. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 104,496 1 Claim. (Cl. 70459) This invention relates to a low cost key ring or holder with detachable spring-like element to efiect easy insertion of keys. Heretofore, such key rings required a secondary locking arrangement at the opening or discontinuity at each end of the ring to permit easy insertion and yet insure function and provide security against inadvertent loss of the keys. The broad application of the detachable spring-like key-holder ring and the non-rotating principle of attachment to the key holder body is increased by the availability of unobstructed areas on the surface of the holder body for decorative designs or advertising messages.

The object of the invention is to provide a low cost, two-piece key ring which will permit easy insertion of keys made possible by the temporary disassembly of the two elements one from another and the threading or otherwise locating of the keys on the spring-like key holder element.

Another object is the elimination of rotation out of a fixed, predetermined orientation of one element with respect to the other.

Another object is the construction of sloped internal contours of the key holder body to compel predetermined orientation and provide security for the keys.

These objects reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully described, claimed and made reference to in the accompanying drawings forming a portion hereof. Accidental disassembly is precluded by 3,126,729 Patented Mar. 31., 1964 selection of suitable gripping force being generated between the key holder ring and key holder body.

Having described the invention, what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

A key holder comprising an elongate substantially planar resilient key receiving member bent into a loop with the end portions thereof positioned adjacent each other and extending generally in the same direction, said end portions each being formed to define orthogonal corner portions projecting outwardly of said member in the plane thereof, and a keeper element cooperating with said key receiving member end portions to retain the keys on said key receiving member, said keeper element comprising a coin like body having an opening extending therethrough along a diameter thereof, said opening being defined by wall structures that are formed to complement the shape of said key receiving member end portions, and compress said end portions toward each other when they are inserted together into said opening, whereby said keeper element defines opposed internal orthogonal corner portions that resiliently receive said key receiving member end portions to retain said keeper element on said key receiving member, the ends of said opening being symmetrically arranged with respect to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,094,568 Hornich Apr. 28, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,311 Great Britain Nov. 23, 1892 574,127 Italy Mar. 12, 1958 1,248,407 France Nov. 7, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 126 729 March 31 1964 Norbert Leopoldi It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 33, after "hereof." insert In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagramat'ic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention: and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof through the central portion of FiG. 1

The key holder or coin like keeper body 2, a fabrication comprising top and bottom closure discs and a body portion 3 internally shaped with camlike sloping contours to define a locking opening 4 extending along a diameter thereof, and having symmetrically related ends, accepts a similarly shaped or contoured spring-like key holder ri-ng or key receiving member I and allows limited distortion of said key holder to affect a forced, easily operated holding action between contours of afore said elements 2 and l.

The end portions 5 of ring 1 are formed with orthogonal or right angle portions 6 while the sloping contours of of body portion 3 are formed to complement the shape of end portions 5, and thus define locking orthogonal or right angle corners 7.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of September 1964 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

